Production-based Corvette Z06 is as quick as an NHRA Pro Stock race car.
This week’s Drag Race Monday comes to us from the BigKleib34 YouTube channel and it features Mark Carlyle’s C6 Corvette Z06. This twin-turbo Chevy sports car is one of the quickest of its kind in the world, running similar times to NHRA Pro Stock times with a production-based independent rear suspension setup.
The Carlyle Corvette
If you aren’t familiar with Mark Carlyle’s C6 Corvette Z06, you are in for a treat. This car has set a variety of records for being one of the quickest and/or fastest LSX-powered cars in the world. That includes records for cars with drag radial tires and cars with an independent rear suspension setup.
This Z06 is powered by a 427-cubic inch LSX engine fitted with a set of Garrett GTX5518R turbochargers. That monster mill sends the power to the rear wheels via a TH400 automatic transmission, which huge drag radial tires put the power to the ground. That combination has put this Corvette well into the 6.50-second range in the quarter mile while reaching speeds well over 200 miles per hour.
Import vs. Domestic World Cup Finals
In the video above, the Carlyle Corvette is taking on a handful of very strong competitors at the 22nd annual Haltech Import Vs Domestic World Cup Finals.
The first run takes place against an early RX-7 and while the Mazda gets a good start, the Z06 quickly catches, passes and cruises to victory. On this run, Carlyle runs a 6.67 at 227 miles per hour to the competitor’s 9.02 at 141.
In the second run, the twin turbo C6 takes on a Mazda RX-3. Once again, the opponent appears to get the jump on the Corvette, but before the two reach the 330-mark, the Chevy has the race locked up. This run brings about a winning 6.84 at 224 miles per hour for the Z06 while the RX-3 turns in a 7.76 at 156 miles per hour.
Finally, the Carlyle Racing Corvette takes on one more Mazda, this time battling an RX-8. On this run, it is all Carlyle, as the import loses traction on the start and the Z06 cruises to another easy win – ending the video with a 6.67 at 219 miles per hour.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
